by: S. Scott Stanikmas – Senior Staff Writer

Warner Bros has announced that we’ll be getting back to the universe Ridley Scott created a few months earlier than expected.

In a press release it was stated that Blade Runner 2, from director Denis Villeneuve and screenwriters Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, will be dropping on October 6, 2017 instead of the previously staked out January 12, 2018.

While the sequel moved away from one as-yet-announced FOX/Marvel movie it now stands to contend with…another as-yet-announced FOX/Marvel movie. If either one of those films ends up being a Deadpool sequel, the WB could be in trouble as I think that would appeal to the mainstream public more at this point in time.

But this could also be a strategic move if the studio is looking for some Academy love (maybe for Visual Effects or some of the other technical categories?), moving the film right into the start of Award Contender Season.

Here is the official announcement from Warner Bros:

BLADE RUNNER SEQUEL WORLDWIDE RELEASE DATE MOVES TO OCTOBER 6, 2017

LOS ANGELES, CA, April 20, 2016 – Alcon Entertainment’s sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 masterpiece BLADE RUNNER, starring Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright and Dave Bautista, will now be released worldwide on October 6, 2017, it was announced by Alcon co-founders and co-CEO’s Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove. Warner Bros will release the film in North America and Sony Pictures Releasing International will distribute in all overseas territories in all media.

The film, initially set for a January 12, 2018 North American release, will be directed by Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Prisoners). Principal photography is scheduled to begin July 2016.

The sequel, set several decades after the original, is written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, and succeeds the initial story by Fancher and David Peoples based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Story details are not being revealed.

Multi-Oscar nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins (Sicario, Prisoners) will reunite with Villeneuve on the project.

Alcon Entertainment acquired the film, television and ancillary franchise rights to BLADE RUNNER in 2011 from the late producer Bud Yorkin and Cynthia Sikes Yorkin to produce prequels and sequels to the iconic science-fiction thriller. Cynthia Sikes Yorkin will produce along with Johnson and Kosove. Bud Yorkin will receive producer credit.

Ridley Scott will serve as Executive Producer. Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEO’s of Thunderbird Films, will also serve as executive producers along with Bill Carraro.